Hundreds of additional titles available for
online reading when you join Gateway to the Classics

SHARING JOY AND SORROW

THERE was once a tailor, who was a quarrelsome fellow, and his wife,
who was good, industrious, and pious, never could please him. Whatever
she did, he was not satisfied, but grumbled and scolded, and knocked
her about and beat her. As the authorities at last heard of it, they had
him summoned, and put in prison in order to make him better. He was kept
for a while on bread and water, and then set free again. He was forced,
however, to promise not to beat his wife any more, but to live with her
in peace, and share joy and sorrow with her, as married people ought to
do. All went on well for a time, but then he fell into his old ways, and
was surly and quarrelsome. And because he dared not beat her, he would
seize her by the hair and tear it out. The woman escaped from him, and
sprang out into the yard, but he ran after her with his yard-measure and
scissors, and chased her about, and threw the yard-measure and scissors
at her, and whatever else came his way. When he hit her he laughed,
and when he missed her, he stormed and swore. This went on so long
that the neighbors came to the wife's assistance. The tailor was again
summoned before the magistrates, and reminded of his promise. "Dear
gentlemen," said he, "I have kept my word, I have not beaten her, but
have shared joy and sorrow with her." "How can that be," said the judge,
"when she continually brings such heavy complaints against you?" "I have
not beaten her, but just because she looked so strange I wanted to comb
her hair with my hand; she, however, got away from me, and left me quite
spitefully. Then I hurried after her, and in order to bring
[267] her back to
her duty, I threw at her as a well-meant admonition whatever came readily
to hand. I have shared joy and sorrow with her also, for whenever I hit
her I was full of joy, and she of sorrow, and if I missed her, then she
was joyful, and I sorry." The judges were not satisfied with this answer,
but gave him the reward he deserved.